Falling Uphill for kids
Stories about the making of our book, Falling Uphill: The Secret of Life and the Spanish edition, “Cayendo Hacia Arriba: El Secreto del Vida.” Part of the Make-A-Book Project.
Synopsis: This is the true story about a man who bicycles around the world questing for the secret of life. His journey is full of many wonders, but he eventually returns home discouraged—only then does he discover the secret in the last place left to look.
How the books are made
The following is a step by step summary of how the book is made, including: planning, creating, celebrating and making a difference in the world.
How the school photos are made
How I make the aerial view photos look real, including using satellite views and chalking the drawing out square by square.
Vamos Chicas Vamos
The Spanish edition of my “Falling Uphill” kids book “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” is being used by the Peace Corp in Paraguay to teach kids how to read and dream.
How to fall uphill
Here is a fun new graphic that I created. It has been simmering in my brain for years. I think it really captures the essence of how doubt and fear are essential to any adventure. The trick is harnessing that emotional fuel and turning disadvantages into advantages.
Falling Uphill in Paraguay with the Peace Corps
Scott Stoll is an author from my hometown who served as the U.S. Embassy’s cultural ambassador in Argentina during the 2011-2012 school year. His time in Argentina and collaboration with Argentine schools resulted in a Spanish language version of his book, Falling Uphill: The Secret of Life, about his 4 year journey around the world on his bicycle.
Acknowledgments / Agradecimientos
As I mentioned, celebrating the book, meaning feeling a sense of accomplishment, may be the most important step in the whole process. Read more about our goals.
Celebrating the book
Students from Argentina holding their certificates of achievements and their copy of “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” the book that we created together. In my opinion, the celebration of the book is the most important step. It helps the students realize their purpose in life, take a step of action with their passion.
Falling Uphill classroom resources
This free guide to Scott’s bicycle ride around the world includes an exercise for turning dreams into reality, a world-travel trivia quiz, exercises for planning and mapping a world adventure, travel writing lessons, class discussions, backyard adventures, and more.
Ambassador to Argentina
A quick summary of my trip as Cultural Ambassador to Argentina with my 5th and favorite video of distributing 2000 books to the kids.
Videos of my return to Argentina
I was honored to return to Argentina as the Cultural Ambassador of the US Department of State. Read the overview and see the movies.
Sharing my story in Argentina
As the Honorary Cultural Ambassador to Argentina, here I am sharing my story with an elementary school in Corrientes, Argentina, the same place I got stuck in the mud for 5 days.
